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gemmy.bsky.social
Lotta
@gemmy.bsky.social
270 followers 250 following 940 posts
Swede in D.C. Hockey, ceramics, nature, kayaking, Taiwan. Tolkien nerd, brassica fan. www.lottaworld.com Pottery pics: www.instagram.com/lottainvirginia/
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gemmy.bsky.social
In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation
www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...
US affirms Taiwan commitments - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Reposted by Lotta
stevekenson.com
Gender affirming care for trans people is safe, effective, and has a lower regret rate (4%) than almost any major medical procedure. It saves lives. These are facts. The right's talking-points are recycled "they are coming for your children!" scare tactics well over fifty years old at this point.
New research finds trans teens have high satisfaction with gender care
The survey published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that trans teens taking puberty blockers or hormones had very low rates of regret.
www.npr.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Lotta
ustaiwan.bsky.social
The US-Taiwan Business Council Comments on Eight Proposed Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan Valued at Over US$11.1 Billion
www.us-taiwan.org/resources/us...
USTBC Comments on 8 Arms Sales to Taiwan at US$11.1 Billion
USTBC welcomed the tranche of eight arms sales to Taiwan - including HIMARS, ALTIUS, and M109A7s - valued at over US$11.1 billion
www.us-taiwan.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:34 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
One fun thing this weekend was sitting down to rest on the mountain by a leaning rock cave and pulling a complete Owens-Illinois bottle, complete w Bakelite (?) cap, out of the sand. Likely from 1943, if I read it right. Neat!
Bottom of an apothecary/prescription bottle w a mold suction scar, ”Owens” text, the Owens-Illinois embossed logo, a mold number of 8 with one dot (second mold cavity), and a ”3” in the year spot. Since it says Duraglas on it as well (used starting in the 1940s), that would likely mean made in 1943. A view of the whole bottle with the screw-top on. It also says ”Duraglas” and has the oz symbol and two ”ii” which means 2 oz size. There would have been a paper label on it. I wonder who brought this up in the mountain and why? Was it reused as a hip flask by some 50s/60s teenager? This exact bottle is shown in the company’s catalog from 1930! (See figure 33 at https://bottleinfo.historicbottles.com/pdffiles/OwensIllinois2018Part2.pdf. The leaning rocks, forming a dry cave underneath, where I took a fika break and found the bottle. It was maybe 2+ hours of climbing the Rose River trail from the bottom.
December 16, 2025 at 11:24 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Shenandoah 3.5 hour hike today was lovely!
Selfie of me standing by the Rose River A waterfall on the Rose River, long exposure. View from my rest spot on the mountain. The Rose River. Water flowing on rocks and bare trees on the banks. It loops cold, but wasn’t bad.
December 13, 2025 at 9:23 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Morning on December 13 means watching a replay of the Lucia celebrations from back home. Always fun to both get the traditional songs and a few new-to-me ones. Makes me nostalgic for the many Lucia choirs I’ve participated in.
Screenshot from Swedish television at the SVT Play app, showing the Lucia in front and her maidens in the back in a delayed playing of the ”Lucia morning” broadcast from Visby on Gotland.
December 13, 2025 at 12:31 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Spur of the moment AB&B in the mountains for the weekend. Hoping to catch some Geminid meteors!
The view from the room over a balcony railing and the sun setting over a line of trees. In the background you can see the foothills of the Appalachians. A large room with a bed and chairs. Windows to the ceiling and nature outside.
December 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Ugh. That was too bad. Come on, Caps!
December 12, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Reposted by Lotta
wired.com
Taiwan’s digital payment infrastructure is tactile, decentralized, and completely distinct from China’s QR code-dominated model. www.wired.com/story/icash-...
How Taiwan Made Cashless Payments Cute
Taiwan’s digital payment infrastructure is tactile, decentralized, and completely distinct from China’s QR code-dominated model.
www.wired.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
My office used to be TNR, but we updated in 2005ish. Spent a lot of time evaluating for easy to read, universally available, compliment the logo. We settled on Georgia and I think I wouldn't' change it now. My favorite writing font is still New Century Schoolbook...
anamariecox.bsky.social Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.bsky.social · 11d
ok this is an insane story but let’s do a poll: if you could declare your workplace’s official font, what would it be? (Might be different than *favorite* font!)
stanfordc.bsky.social Chris Stanford @stanfordc.bsky.social · 11d
Mr. Rubio said switching back to Times New Roman would “restore decorum and professionalism to the department’s written work.” Calibri is “informal” when compared to serif typefaces like Times New Roman and “clashes” with the department’s official letterhead. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/u...
December 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Lotta
wps.news
West Philippine Sea: Thirty Days of Escalation

In the last month, the West Philippine Sea has seen an intensifying series of confrontations — from Chinese naval incursions to cyanide-suspected fishing operations — underscoring a growing pressure campaign against Philippine sovereignty and regional…
West Philippine Sea: Thirty Days of Escalation
In the last month, the West Philippine Sea has seen an intensifying series of confrontations — from Chinese naval incursions to cyanide-suspected fishing operations — underscoring a growing pressure campaign against Philippine sovereignty and regional stability.
wps.news
December 8, 2025 at 1:01 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
Last day of the Art League student holiday sale. Open 10am-5pm today, I’ll be around there all afternoon. Been a good weekend so far, make it even better by shopping early for pottery Christmas gifts!!
(800 Slaters Lane in Alexandria, Virginia )
The items left on my table. I have sold all my robots and a few other pieces, so I’m pretty happy about it! One of the two studios packed to the gills with student and instructor created ceramics for sale. Flyer for the sale with representative photos and date time info and address at 800 Slaters Lane in Alexandria.
December 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Reposted by Lotta
jamellebouie.net
the birthright clause was not just written to wipe dred scott off of the books, it was written to repudiate the *idea* behind dred scott, you might say the larger *ideological project* of dred scott. and the whole of section 1 of the 14th amendment is a constitutional statement of political equality
December 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Happy to pick up my newest pottery items from the kiln last night. Also including a new metal wire Christmas tree with a ceramic base. Just in time for the student ceramic sale this weekend!!
8 small pottery figurines of a singing choir with little red noses, crosshatching as ”buttons” on their clothes, and some embroidery thread as scarves A silver metal wire tree, built on top of two ceramic ”boulders.” The tree has green and red beads, and a few nail polish leaves. Art League holiday ceramics sale, December 5-7, 2025 at 800 Slaters Lane Alexandria, VA 22314. Hours are Friday 5-8pm, Saturday 10am - 8 pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm. Hope to see you at my table!!
December 4, 2025 at 4:29 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
I've lived in the U.S. for most of my adult life. If this goes through, I will be forced to renounce my U.S. citizenship, sell everything & move back to the EU. It would mean a fundamental shift to what the U.S. *IS* IMO. At that point, my personal "American Dream" would be over. I won't be alone.
kerim.one Kerim Friedman 傅可恩 @kerim.one · 17d
On December 1, 2025, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025. The bill would prohibit any person from simultaneously holding U.S. citizenship and citizenship of another country.
Sen. Moreno’s Bill Seeks to End Dual Citizenship in U.S.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 would prohibit holding US citizenship and that of another country. Failure to renounce results in automatic loss of US citizenship.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 2:59 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
Looking for cool Christmas gifts in the Washington, D.C. area? Come to the #AlexandriaVA Art League student ceramic sale this weekend! I will have a table to sell some of my pottery, and some much better creators will be there too! Hope to see you there! (I'll be there Friday eve/Sunday pm)
Poster for the Alexandria Art League Student Holiday Ceramic Sale. December 5-7, 2025. Friday 5pm-8pm, Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 10am-5pm. It's at 800 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA. Not too far for Arlington, VA, D.C. and Maryland folks too! The top right hand photo of little tiki-looking vases are mine. They will be for sale at this event!
December 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Happy First of Advent!
An Advent Star lamp hanging in my window. In the front are two white curtains and in the back are the lights from the high-rises at Skyline. South Arlington, Virginia.
December 1, 2025 at 2:02 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
Decided I have too many things to do, so I took a hike instead of taking the kayak out. Regretting my choice right now, it is gorgeous (albeit chilly) on the Potomac.
The Potomac River with the Wilson Bridge in the background. The blue of the water meets the blue of the sky, with the white bridge between them. In the foreground is driftwood along the bank, and some anchored boats.
November 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Logaaaaaan!!! #ALLCAPS!
November 29, 2025 at 12:34 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
Do you play the accordion? Does someone you know? I’m looking for someone to record a few bars of accordion music as a gift to my mom. Happy to pay. Story in photos.
Musical notation in a childish hand in Swedish. I think maybe the first bar is something else? ”My Waltz” is written between bars 1-2. Lyrics are ”now we will sing a little song that all birds will listen to” followed by two instrumental bars, and then the final ”thus I can end my waltz” Text on a white background. My dad, who passed away suddenly a few years ago, played the accordion when he was a kid. Recently, mom gave his accordion away to a local music school. In the process, she discovered a booklet where he had composed "my waltz" when he was maybe 12/13. As a Christmas present for my mom, I was hoping to have someone record the snippet of music on an accordion so I can send it to her. Final output would be an mp3 file of his composition, played on an accordion. Difficulty: Old-school Swedish musical notation (not sure if that matters), a pretty fuzzy photo of the page of notes. Happy to pay for the help. Flexible on the amount. My dad in between bouts of playing the accordion (fairly poorly if I recall correctly!) many years after composing the waltz. It’s a beautiful old school accordion, he is sitting in a white chair and looks really content.
November 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
This is a great find! Makes me think of this investigation by Mikko & F-Secure finding the people who made Brain A.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lned...
November 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
Vad gjorde du 17 juli 2018? (What did you do July 17, 2018?)

Såg Joywave på Broadberry i Richmond, Virginia. Dom spelade "Blastoff" live för första gången någonsin.

(I saw Joywave at the Broadberry in Richmond. First live performance of "Blastoff")
The band Joywave performing on a stage, taken from the railing. Joey playing guitar on the left, Paul on the drums, Daniel singing. (On the bass is Jeremiah and Ben on keyboards. Both of them are no longer members of the band.) In the back is a big lit-up sign that says "Broadberry" and the lights are purple and orange.
November 21, 2025 at 7:46 PM
gemmy.bsky.social
U.S. senators introduce bill to prevent changes to 'Six Assurances' focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
U.S. senators introduce bill to prevent changes to 'Six Assurances' - Focus Taiwan
Two U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill to codify the "Six Assurances" as a cornerstone of U.S. policy toward Taiwan and prevent any unilateral changes to America's longstanding pos...
focustaiwan.tw
November 21, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Lotta
yossarianlives.bsky.social
Tfw you have an Ovi goal counter bobblehead but it only has three digits. #ALLCAPS
November 21, 2025 at 12:13 AM
gemmy.bsky.social
My headline of the day, for sure.

NASA releases images of comet, rejects alien rumors

www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/a...
NASA releases images of comet, rejects alien rumors - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:26 PM